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FACTivity – Hidden in Plain Sight

  • Activity
  • High School
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Pollution
  • Air Pollution
  • Air Quality
  • Creating Graphs
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Flag Program
  • Graphing data
Preview of the FACTivity for Hidden in Plain Sight
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In this FACTivity, you will make a graph of the Air Quality Index numbers for each of five major cities in the United States for November 2023.

Materials:

  • Blank graph (included)
  • Colored pencils, markers, or crayons

Background: Car exhaust, pollen, and a wildfire all release particles into the air. These and other air pollutants can affect people’s health. People with asthma or other lung diseases, young children, the elderly, and others can be impacted by the level of pollutants in the air.

The Environmental Protection Agency and State environmental agencies monitor air quality levels. They use the Air Quality Index (AQI) to tell people how clean or dirty their air is each day (see chart below). People can use that information to make decisions about how to be outdoors safely.

FACTivity – Hidden in Plain Sight

Part Of

Hidden in Plain Sight - Using Moss to Detect Air Pollution and Engage Civic Scientists

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Standards addressed in this Activity:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

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  • Additional Resources

Additional Resources

  • Environmental Protection Agency: Air Now Program

    Use AirNow to look up air quality data across the United States over a range of time.

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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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